VM6 Software is a Canadian company that’s aiming to bring the benefits of virtualization to small and mid-size businesses (SMBs) and remote and branch offices without traditional costs and complexities. The company is now looking to expand its reach and partner presence with the launch of a new global channel program.
VM6 Software originally began as a consulting company known as VM6 said Eric Courville, co-founder and COO of VM6 Software, with a focus on virtualization and VMware. Not long after, the executives saw an opportunity in the SMB space, where budgets and resources are often limited and thus, VM6 Software was born.
The company is headquartered in Montreal but also has an office in Toronto, where it carries out its daily operations and sales. Its VMex 2.1 software solution is designed for SMBs that want a “fully virtualized data centre in a box,” said Courville. By leveraging its technology partnership with Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT), the independent software vendor claims it can offer customers the benefits of virtualization without the complexity and cost.
Today, the company, which delivers its solutions completely through the channel, has a global partner network of about 80 resellers, with only a handful in Canada. In an effort to increase its market and partner reach, VM6 Software has introduced its new global partner program and is actively recruiting new resellers. The ideal partner has expertise in virtualization and Microsoft, has a professional services practice and also resells hardware, Courville said.
The partner program is made up of two levels: Authorized and Premier. Authorized partners receive 15 per cent margins on software solutions and Premier partners earn additional margins on top of that. All partners can also take advantage of an extra eight per cent margin through deal registration. Through the program, partners can access VM6 Software’s partner portal, sales and technical training, presentations, whitepapers, a lead registration program, and more.
“Resellers that bring opportunities to us also get extra discounts even if they don’t close the deal,” he said. “We also generate leads for our partners and help them find new opportunities.”
The VMex 2.1 software solution is a new opportunity that partners can bring to their customers, Courville said.
“Customers who use our solution will see up to 70 per cent lower total cost of ownership over three years when compared to traditional virtualization solutions,” he said. “Our key message to partners is that there’s an alternative out there to bring virtualization to the SMB market at a significant lower cost. If partners want to expand their business and professional services and offer their end-users something fresh and new, then they need to know what we have to offer.”
John Kadianos, CEO of Toronto-based systems integrator Hyper Technologies, said his company has been a partner of VM6 Software’s for the past six months.
“VM6 fills in the space for the remote and branch office niche,” Kadianos said. “This is an inexpensive alternative to the way we’re doing things today (with virtualization) to get the same results but without the extra costs and complexities.”
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